An Appraisal of the Current Situation of Out-of-hospital Cardiac Arrest in an Urban South Indian Tertiary Care Hospital: A Registry-based Observational Study

Aims and background: Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) poses a significant global public health challenge, particularly in India where the absence of an official registry complicates understanding the true scope of the issue.This study aims to provide insights into OHCA in South India, focusing on survival rates and key influencing factors, with a specific emphasis on young cardiac arrest patients.Materials and methods: Conducted as a registry-based observational study in an urban South Indian tertiary care hospital's emergency department, data from January to December 2023 were analysed using the Utstein OHCA registry.Inclusion criteria covered non-traumatic OHCA patients of all ages transported to the hospital.Results: Among 123 non-traumatic OHCA cases, laypersons performed bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in 8.1% of cases.The overall survival rate was 0.8%, with a 3.1% survival rate among young adults (18-49 years).Notably, continuous CPR was associated with higher survival rates.Conclusion: Addressing low survival rates, especially among young individuals experiencing OHCA in India, requires immediate action.Recognising the time-intensive nature of citizen education, our primary recommendation emphasises prompt and targeted, interventions in raising public awareness and training.Placing emergency physicians at the forefront of these efforts allows them to address multifaceted challenges, optimise immediate outcomes and contribute to the continuous improvement of OHCA care in India.